Post-Perovskite Phase Transition in the Pyrolitic Lowermost Mantle:
Implications for Ubiquitous Occurrence of Post-Perovskite Above CMB
Abstract
We conducted X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurements of a pyrolitic mantle
material up to 4480 K at 122-166 GPa in a laser-heated diamond-anvil
cell (DAC). Results demonstrate that the phase transition between
bridgmanite and post-perovskite occurs in pyrolite within the lowermost
mantle pressure range even at >4000 K. It suggests the
ubiquitous occurrence of post-perovskite above the core-mantle boundary
(CMB), which may be consistent with recent high-quality seismology data
that non-observations of D” reflections are exceptions. Combining with
earlier experiments performed at and below the normal lower-mantle
geotherm, our data show that the bridgmanite + post-perovskite two-phase
region is ~5 GPa thick and the Clapeyron slope of the
boundary is +7(+2/-3) MPa/K in agreement with previous theoretical
calculations. The global presence of rheologically weak post-perovskite
at the bottom of the mantle has profound implications in seismology,
geodynamics, and heat transfer from the core.